Euro-zone annual inflation up to 2.1%

EU15 up to 1.9%

Euro-zone annual inflation rose from 1.9% in July to 2.1% in August 2002, Eurostat â€“ the Statistical Office of the European Communities in Luxembourg â€“ reports today. A year earlier the rate was 2.4%.

EU15 annual inflation rose from 1.8% in July to 1.9% in August 2002. A year earlier the rate was 2.4%. EEA annual inflation was 1.9% in August 2002.

Inflation in Member States
In August, highest annual rates were in Ireland (4.5%), Portugal (3.9%), Greece and the Netherlands (both 3.8%); lowest rates were in Germany and the United Kingdom (both 1.0%) and Belgium (1.3%).

Compared with July 2002, annual inflation rose in ten Member States, fell in three, and remained stable in two. Compared with August 2001, the biggest relative falls were in Germany (2.6% to 1.0%), Belgium (2.5% to 1.3%) and Sweden (3.0% to 1.7%) and the only relative rises were in Spain (2.1% to 3.7%), Italy (2.0% to 2.6%) and Ireland (3.7% to 4.5%).

Lowest 12-month averages up to August 2002 were in the United Kingdom (1.2%), Germany (1.5%) and Luxembourg (1.7%); highest were in Ireland (4.5%), the Netherlands (4.4%) and Greece (3.8%).

USA and Switzerland
Annual inflation rose from -0.1% to 0.5% in Switzerland. Data from the USA were not yet available in time for publication. These indices are not strictly comparable with EU harmonized indices.